Friday, July 29, 2011

Dabbling in Car Mechanics

If you ever go get a lacquer or gel manicure...you know the kind that is guaranteed for 2 weeks without chipping and is totally dry right away...I have good news for you! No need to go in to the nail salon and pay $10 to have them do the polish soak-off with acetone. I have learned that brake fluid does the trick! It's water soluble and it's only $6 for a bottle. WHAT A DEAL!

"This is ruining my manicure."

(Words my brother admits he had never heard before while changing brakes)

I have officially become a mechanic! Yesterday I changed the brakes, rotors and calipers on my sister's 2005 Toyota Sienna. And I did it all by myself!

Ok, not really...

I should probably admit that I worked with my brother and my dad.

And I should probably mention that the minivan was already up on jacks and the wheels were removed when I got to my brother's house.

And I should probably tell you that my dad was telling me what to do, step by step, the whole time.

And I might want to mention that there was a rusted on rotor that I couldn't pound off, so my brother used his brawn and brain to remove both of them.

I should probably admit that I didn't put any of the wheels back on at the end.

So, I really did less than half the work.

...and I don't do clean up.

But, I DID take off and replace the front driver's side caliper and brake pads all by myself and I got to be the official "brake pedal pusher" when we bled the brake fluid at the end of the installation. It was a very satisfying project and I'm one step further in my quest to take over the world in my dabbling in everything!

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You wish you were me...

Ah, the life of the "perfect" wife and mother! She dabbles in everything. She cooks and bakes, she designs and sews. She plumbs, does electrical and cement work and paints. She gardens, cans and cleans. She refinishes and re-purposes. She sings and acts. She is chronically impatient and occasionally yells; she hates exercising, no matter how fun people make it. She laughs at her own jokes. She sometimes serves up a French accent with breakfast just to make her kids roll their eyes. She gets thoroughly annoyed by clueless drivers and is often annoyed at everyone. She lives in the frozen north, but hates being cold...go figure.
Oh, crap! I've said too much. Maybe you don't really wish you were her, but don't tell her. She prefers to live in her own little bubble.